Today, the entire preschool bid Aloha to Aunty Malia, our Educational Coordinator.  She will be starting her new position soon in the main preschool office.  But, Malia will still be around to make the transition smoother as we welcome a new Educational Coordinator next week Tuesday.  An official announcement regarding her new position and her replacement will be sent home soon.

Seven firefighters from the Kane’ohe Fire Station visited our preschool today.  We learned about fire safety, explored a engine truck, looked at a ladder truck, and watched a fire fighter climb up the very tall ladder on the ladder truck. Firefighter Mark (he’s a daddy of one of our ‘Ulu keiki) talked to the children about fire safety.  Firefighter Chris dressed up in full fire fighter gear.  We are very thankful to them for visiting us and for what they do as fire fighters.

This month we will be learning the names and properties of basic flat shapes (circle, square, triangle, and rectangle).  Three year olds become aware of shapes in their world when they are taught to identify geometric shapes that have been labeled by the teacher.  Although we initially focus on circles, they can be expected to match and identify squares and triangles as well.  They begin to look at common objects with a new focus and gain mastery when encouraged to observe, explore, and name various shapes.  In the preschool classroom, art work is an engaging way to do this.  In this picture, the children are using circles of different sizes and colors to decorate a large white triangle paper.

Eia makou na pua o Hawaii.  The translation is:  Here we are the children of Hawai’i.  This is a group photo of all of 16 children in the ‘Ulu class.

 The Hawaiian Mele that we are learning is entitled “Eia Makou.”  Here are the words:  Eia makou, na pua o Hawai’i.  Eia makou, na keiki ho’okani.  Eia makou, na alaka’i nani.  ‘Oli e, ‘oli e, no makou!

Today, while on the playground, many of the children noticed that the mountains looked different.  They asked us if it was rain.  In this picture, taken this morning, you can see that the Ko’olau mountains in the background are partial hidden by the VOG.  Children asked many questions about it.  Because of the VOG, we did have to cut our outdoor play time short.  At home, VOG can be something that you can talk about more in detail with your child.  It can help to expand your child’s vocabulary and expose them to current events. 

According to the State of Hawaii website, “Vog is a term that refers to volcanic smog.  It is the haze you may see in the air that is caused by a combination of weather, wind conditions and volcanic activity.  Vog becomes thicker or lighter depending upon the amount of emissions from Kilauea volcano, the direction and amount of wind, and other weather conditions.  People with pre-existing respiratory conditions are more prone to adverse effects of vog which may include: headaches, breathing difficulties, increased susceptibility to respiratory ailments, watery eyes, and sore throat.  The long-term health effects of vog are unknown.  Precautions include:  staying indoors and keeping  the windows and doors closed; using an air conditioner with the vent closed if possible., drinking liquids to avoid dehydration, seeking  medical assistance if you have trouble breathing.”

Our flower seeds (marigolds, nasturtiums, and sunflowers) are beginning to sprout.  When they are big enough, we will transplant them into our flower bed.  Three children enjoyed watering them today.  The garden is open to explore on a daily basis. (Note:  Welcome to our new girl.  She started today and is pictured with a big smile on her face here.)

In our classroom, you will notice that we have many natural materials.  Natural geometric blocks strengthen observation skills by inspiring children to sort, compare, and classify woods by their relative hardness, color, and/or texture.  The consistent geometric shapes of the blocks also allow structure to be quite sturdy and elaborate.  Are you familiar with the game “Jenga”?  The wood pieces that are used for that game are an example of a natural geometric block.  In fact, we have two sets available for the children to use.  In this picture you will notice that two children are using a different pattern to create their structures (one structure is horizontal and the other is vertical).  This is a reminder that we need to honor how children approach a task using the same materials differently.

Today was our walking field trip to Papahana Kuaola.  We had nice overcast weather, so it turned out to be a cool day with no rain.  Our guides, Uncle Mahi and Aunty Mahea, talked more than our three year old keiki were used to.  They did some “indoor classroom” talk and we walked up to the waterfall area.  When we finally got to the lo’i area, our children were ready for lunch.  So, we didn’t get into the muddy lo’i, but the children did walk across a cold mountain stream and across muddy grass.  We have two more scheduled visits to Papahana Kuaola during the later part of the school year.  We will tailor those visits to include more hands-on experiences.  Throughout the year, the pictures we take on our field trips will be compiled into a memory book that each child will get at the end of the year.  Mahalo to all our chaperones who did a fabulous job today helping all of the keiki!

Today the children helped plant flower seeds.  We planted marigolds, sunflowers, and nasturtiums because they germinate quickly and are easy to grow.  Young children who develop a love for gardening grow into adults with a passion for plants and respect for the environment.  We use plants as a teaching tool because research shows that gardens and garden activities not only improve children’s environmental attitudes and connect them with nature, they also provide an engaging context for learning core subjects.   

“Rug Toys” are available for the children to use on a daily basis.  The toys are fun, bright, and stimulating.  These toys allow the children to make independent good choices, provide them with opportunities to play nicely and share with others, allow them to practice daily how to play with it properly and put it away correctly, help to strengthen their fine motor skills, and help to develop their eye-hand coordination.  Many times we will see children lining up toys.  In this picture, two boys did it with small plastic dinosaurs.  It is perfectly normal for a child this age. They are noticing the similarities and differences between objects and learning to group like with like which is a most important cognitive tasks.